The Los Angeles Lakers are building a new era around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. But Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka knew going into this offseason that he needed to acquire another impact scorer to thrive behind Luka and AR, and in some cases beside them.
Enter Collin Sexton, whom Pelinka and the Lakers inked to a two-year, $19.2 million deal at the start of the month. While this move hasn't been discussed enough, it has a chance to become one of Pelinka's most important transactions of the offseason for the Lakers.
Sexton is in the thick of his athletic prime and possesses the mentality and basketball IQ to fit like a glove alongside Doncic and Reaves. He's also eager to find out what NBA playoff basketball tastes like, and he'll find out soon enough while wearing a Lakers uniform.
Collin Sexton describes why he wanted to join the Lakers
Everything that has come out of Sexton's mouth since signing with the Lake Show has been positive, including when he explained the appeal of the Lakers.
"I would say just opportunity," Sexton said recently, per Lakers reporter Khobi Price. "Opportunity to go out and win and be able to compete each and every night. I feel like that's something that needs to be shown, that I bring each and every day is that want to compete, but also the want to win."
Collin Sexton's best trait is his competitive fire
It really is a shame that Sexton's been on mediocre or bad NBA teams his entire career, because this guy competes like a dog every single night. That's actually probably the best quality of Sexton's -- that he brings a high-energy approach every single time he steps on the floor.
Over the course of an 82-game grind, you need guys like Sexton in your rotation -- and in your locker room -- to help establish the vital habit of playing hard on a consistent basis.
The Lakers definitely struggled with developing that habit in 2025-26, even if they exploded in March. For all the generational things that Luka brings to the table, he's not always bringing 100 percent intensity during the regular season. Sexton's arrival will help offset that, and this should be beneficial for the Lakers.
Sexton's never been in a contending environment. He might be unlocked in a way we've never seen before when his ultra-competitive personality is finally faced with games that matter.
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